All purpose carrier

ABSTRACT

A onepiece carrier has a disc-like tray portion having openings for receiving cups and depressions for sandwiches and the like, and a tapered handle projects downwardly from the central portion of the tray to make the tray stackable. A lower disc of the handle serves to support the cups. A loading support having upstanding legs serves to receive the tray for loading. A second tray has a tapered handle and also has posts for standing the tray.

Ked @afies 11 1 1111 3,768,710

Eggen's Oct. 30, 1973 [5 ALL PURPQSE CARRIER 1,263,807 4/1918 Saal 21171 2,808,191 10/1957 Cramerm. [76] Invenmrx 22 62 3,142,425 7/1964 Cobb229 1310. 7

a e, u ene, re p g g FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATlONS [22] June 19711,441,380 4/1966 France 211 133 [21] Appl. No.: 157,422

Primary Examiner-Robert G. Sheridan U S Cl 2 8 A 1/7 2 33Att0meyBuckhorn, Blore, Klarquist & Sparkman 51 161.131 A47 26/06 [58]Field of Search 211/13, 71,133; [57] R T 224/48; 220/2383, 2186; 206IDIG28; A oneprece carne r has a dlsc-llke tray portion having openmgs forrecelvlng cups and depressions for sand- 229/D1G. 7

wlches and the like, and a tapered handle pro ects downwardl from thecentral ortion of the tra to [56] References Cited y p y make the traystackable. A lower disc of the handle UNITED STATES PATENTS serves tosupport the cups. A loading support having JOXIC? x upstanding legserves to receive the tray for loading H g g A Second tray has a taperedhandle and also has posts 1,305,164 5 1919 Rake........ 224/48 (3 x forstandmg the 1,615,209 1/1927 Asselin 224/48 C X 1 Claim, 4 DrawingFigures 26 24 20 f l A PAIENTEDumso ms 3,768,710

WILLIAM H. EGGERS INVENTOR BY BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMANATTORNEYS ALL PURPOSE CARRIER DESCRIPTION This invention relates to allpurpose carriers, and more particularly to carriers for carrying foodand drink items.

An object of the invention is to provide all purpose carriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide carriers for carrying foodand drink items.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stackable carrierhaving a depending tapered handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier having a trayportion with holes for cups and depressions for food items and adepending handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier having adepending handle and a support unit having upstanding posts for holdingthe carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier having a handle,a top disc with holes to receive cups and a lower slip-on disc on thehandle to engage the bottoms of the cups.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier having a trayportion from which depends a handle and a plurality of supporting legs.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an all purpose carrier forming one embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a supporting stand and illustrating in brokenlines the carrier of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the carrier of FIG. I placed on thesupporting stand of FIG. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown an all purposecarrier forming one embodiment of the invention and comprising aonepiece disc or tray 12 having holes 14 through it spaced sufficientlyto accommodate a beverage cup 16. The holes 14 have raised lips or rims18 and outer periphery 20 of the disc 12 is also formed with a raisedrim, as is center opening 22. These rims, as well as providing strength,have a second function of that of a dam. If one of the cups 16 should bespilled somewhat, the rims prevent the liguid from getting on theperson. One or more depressions 24 are provided in the top surface 26 ofthe disc 12 positioned between the holes 14 and intended to be used forreceiving a hot dog, candy bar, or other food to prevent it fromshifting. A tapered tubular carrying handle 28 extends downward from thecenter of the disc 12. The holes 22 in the handle 28 provides for easycleaning as well as enabling a large number of the carriers to becompactly stacked as illustrated in FIG. 2 for collection and/orstorage.

While storing or loading the carrier with food and drink, it is placedon a supporting stand 30 which includes a base 32 with three or moreupwardly extending posts 34 which support the tray 10 from the undersideof the disc 12. The tray 10 is positioned and centered by a cone-shapedlocator 36 forming part of the base 32. The locator fits loosely intothe bottom 38 of the tray handle 28. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the tray10 is quite stable for loading while on the stand 30. If desired, thecarrier could be provided with three integral, outwardly and downwardlytapered, nestable legs (not shown) for support independently of thestand.

A lower disc 40 (FIG. 2) may be placed on the handle 28 and slid up towedge itself on the handle in a position adapted to receive the bottomsof the cups in circular depressions 44 to support the cups, thedepressions 44, of course, being aligned with the holes 14. The disc 40,although disclosed herein as separable from the handle, may, of course,be integral with the handle either by initially molding it or byadhering the disc to the handle. The disc imparts strength and balanceto the cups or other containers. And the recesses 44 could be holes. Ifdesired, the disc could have supporting legs.

I claim:

1. In an all-purpose carrier,

a disc-like tray having a central opening therethrough,

a handle of a length sufficient to be grasped by the thumb and fingersof a user and centered on the opening and fixed to the tray,

the tray having cup openings therein spaced radially outwardly from thehandle,

a lower supporting disc on the outside of the handle and spaced belowthe tray for supporting a cup in the cup opening,

the handle extending sufficiently below the disc for the portion thereofbelow the disc to serve as a handle, the disc being a slip-on disk andbeing removable from the handle to permit the tray to be stacked withanother identical tray, the handle being tapered so as to nest in anidentical handle.

1. In an all-purpose carrier, a disc-like tray having a central openingtherethrough, a handle of a length sufficient to be grasped by the thumband fingers of a user and centered on the opening and fixed to the tray,the tray having cup openings therein spaced radially outwardly from thehandle, a lower supporting disc on the outside of the handle and spacedbelow the tray for supporting a cup in the cup opening, the handleextending sufficiently below the disc for the portion thereof below thedisc to serve as a handle, the disc being a slip-on disk and beingremovable from the handle to permit the tray to be stacked with anotheridentical tray, the handle being tapered so as to nest in an identicalhandle.